You Do Have My Nose!

In every family, there are traits and physical features that no one wants to own.

For example, I have my father’s ears. So does my sister. So does my daughter, who calls them “the Claudson ears.” Our ears all stick out at the top. I suppose we should be glad that most of us are girls, and we can wear our hair over the Claudson ears.

A year ago my daughter posted a picture of herself as a toddler on Facebook. One of her friends claimed she couldn’t see any resemblance between the picture and how my daughter looks now. I posted a comment, “Just look at the ears.” The friend immediately recognized my daughter.

One day when I was a teenager, we were talking about family noses and who had whose nose.

My nose is a little pointed. Not too bad, but it’s fairly prominent for someone who is only five-foot-one. I think it’s the same nose my maternal grandmother (Nanny Winnie) had, though mine is more exaggerated.

Whether it is Nanny Winnie’s specifically or not, I’m certain that the nose came from my mother’s side of the family. My mother definitely had the nose, too.

Funny thing was, she never would admit it.

That day when I was in my teens, I told my mother my nose had come from her. “No, it didn’t,” she said. “My nose isn’t as big as yours.”

I insisted. “Yes, I got your nose.”

She wouldn’t believe me.

Until she saw this picture. Here we are together in profile on my wedding day:

When my mother saw this photo, she said, “Oh, we do have the same nose.” And it’s obvious we do.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Which family traits do you and your relatives fight over?